Zipper puller



June 24, 1958 H. LANCASTER 0,

ZIPPER FULLER Filed Jan, 14. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet- 1 IN V EN TOR.

F17. 5. HESTER LANCASTER ATTORAZY June 24, 1958 H. LANCASTER ZIPPER FULLER Filed Jan: 14. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent ZIPPER PULLER Hester Lancaster, New York, N. Y.

Application January 14, 1957, Serial No. 634,047

2 Claims. ((1294-26) This invention relates to a device for operating a slide fastener between open and closed positions, where the fastener is not readily accessible to the user.

In many instances, it is diflicult to operate a slide fastener, due to its location upon a garment being worn. For example, dresses often have a slide fastener or zipper extending down the middle of the back, from a location below the waist to the neckline. In such an instance, the wearer finds it difiicult to close the slide fastener, and the assistance of another person is often sought in these circumstances. However, such assistance is not available to everyone, and accordingly the main object of the present invention is-to provide an actuating device for a slide fastener so designed that one can swiftly and easily operate the-same to open or close the fastener.

Another object is to provide a slide fastener operating device-that can be readily attached to or detached from a conventional zipper or slide fastener, and located with maximum facility where it can beshifted by the user for the purpose of operating the fastener device to open or closed positions.

A further object is to provide a slide fastener actuating device that will be capable of manufacture at a very low cost, but will nevertheless be efficiently adapted to discharge its duties or functions over a long period of time without possibility of breakage.

Another object is to provide a slide fastener closing device which will be designed to permit grasping of the device at various locations along its length, so that the device can be used for closing fasteners not only on the backs of dresses, but also on the backs or sides of girdles, corsets, etc. In other words, by. the provision of a handledefining connector intermediate opposite ends of the actuating device, one can grasp either a handle at an end of the device so that the device will be of maximum length or. alternatively, grasp the intermediate handle so that the effect will be that of shortening the actuating.

device, so that it can be used with ease for actuating to closed positions relatively short slide fasteners. The arrangement, further, has the desirable effect of permitting one to shift from one handle to another during the actuating of the slide fastener to closed position, so that. the

over-all length of the actuating device can be conveniently shortened when the slide fastener has been partly closed.

Another object, in one form of the invention, is to provide means in association with the longitudinally spaced handles one located at one end of the device and another intermediate the ends of the device, for providing for a secondlength adjustment. In this instance, a third handle is provided which ordinarily is inoperatively disposed. However, by detachable connection of the end and intermediate handles to each other, the overall length of a. flexible member incorporated in. the device will be shortened and the third handle will be operatively located. By reason of this arrangement, the device can be used either at full length in which instance the end handle would be used, at a short length in which event the handle nearestthe slide-fastener-engaging hook of the device is used, and an intermediate length between the maximum and short lengths, in which event the ordinarily inoperative handle is located at the end of the shortened actuating member.

Another object is so design the slide fastener closing device that it can be engaged with any of various slide fastener handles now in use, with the construction being such that a hook on the actuating device can be readily connected to the slide fastener handle before the garment is put on, said hook being designed to be readily detached from the slide fastener handle when the fastener has been moved to a fully closed position.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure: 1

Fig. 1 is a view showing the device in use during the closing of a slide fastener, the fastener being shown in a fully open position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the slide fastener actuating device per se.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, still further enlarged, on line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the connection of the end handle to the longer flexible strip.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the same scale as Fig. 3, taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 2, showing the connection of the hook to the hook support loop.,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the same scale as Fig. 4, throughthe hook, taken on the line 5-5 of} side by side, separable strip portions, said portions being shown in full and dotted lines in positions to which the same are adjusted, permitting the device to be used either in the same manner as the form of Fig. 2 or alternatively, in a form including divergent strip portions extendible over the shoulders of the user.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on line 1111 of Fig. 10. V

Fig. 12 is a view like Fig. 1 showing the modified form of Fig. 10 in use, with the strip portions separated to provide a V-shaped yoke. Referring to the drawings in detail, in the form of the inventionv shown in Figs. 1-5, the slide fastener actuating device '10 constituting the present invention has been illustrated applied to a conventional slide fastener 12 provided at the back of a dress 14, said slide fastener including the usual slide 16 having a handle formed with an opening in the conventional manner.

vAs will be noted from Fig. 1, a slide fastener such as shown extends vertically up the middle of the back of the dress,'usually from the small of the back to the neckline. It is difficult to close a fastener of the type shown,

.without the assistance of another'person. Ordinarily,

one can initiate movement of the slide 16 from the lower end of the fastener for a distance upwardly along the length of the fastener, without particular difiiculty. Further, movement of the slide from a location a short distance below the neckline, fully to the neckline, is also accomplished without great difficulty. Ditficulty'exists,

Patented June 24, less like Fig. 2 showing a modified conhowever, in moving the slide over the intermediate portion of the length of the slide fastener.

The actuating device constituting the present invention obviates. the difficulty mentioned above, and comprisesa flexible device having a .hook vat one end engageable in the opening of the-.slidefastener handle, said flexible device being adapted to be positioned .over one shoulder of the user so that the user can exert pull upon the closing device '10 at her shoulder, which pullwill be translated into upward movement of the slide fastener handle for. the purpose of closing the slide fastener. I

As shown in Fig. 2, the closing device 10 includes an elongated, outer flexible strip member 18 madepreferably of twill tape orbraid. This may be formed from a length of cloth tape or the like, and at one end, there is connected to the strip member 18 a closed metal loop 20 providing an end handle. The metal loop 20 is connected to the member 18 through the provision of folding one end of the strip member 18 upon itself and stitching the same, thus to provide a transverse hem 22 at the outerend of the" strip member 18, through, which hem the loop 20 extends.

At its other end, the strip member 18 is connected to an inner handle 24, through the provision of a hem 26 similar to the hem 22. Loop 24 is identical to loop 20, and at a location diametrically opposite thehem 26 is connected to an inner flexible .strip member 28 of twill tape or-braid, through the provision of hem 30 provided upon the strip member 28. Strip member 28 is substantially shorter than the member 18, for a purpose to be made presently apparent.

Strip member 28, at the end thereof remote from the inner handle 24, is connected .to a transversely extending, oblong, closed metal loop 32, through theprovision of a stitched,transversely extending hem 34.

Loosely connected to the loop 32 is a hook 36 which -may be of fiat cross section as shown in Fig. 5, although this is not essential to successfuloperation of the device.

In use, before the dre ss'is put on, the hook 36 is engaged with the handle of the slide fastener, after which the dress is put on and the actuating device is pulled over one shoulder as shown in Fig. l with the hand grasping the end handle 20. Of course, the device could be attached to the slide fastener handle even after the dress is put on, although this may be somewhat more inconvenient so far as the useris concerned, due to the diificulty of extending a hook through an opening when one is'unable to view the opening of the slide of the fastener 12.

In any event, with the dress put on and the fastener still open as in Fig. 1, one need only pull forwardly upon the handle 20. This causes upward movement of the slide of the fastener 12, the slide thus being readily shifted to its upper position, in which the zipper or slide fastener is fully closed. While one is pulling forwardly,

one can also pull upwardly, to locate the closing device substantially in longitudinal alignment with the slide fastener.

In this connection, the device can also be used for opening the slide fastener, in which event the hook would be inserted in the opening of the fastener handle with iently grasped. This shortens the overall distance over which the pulling force ,is exerted along the length of the closing device.

Further, the handle 24 -is .available whenever. it is desired :toluse the closure device at a shorter length, as for example when oneis plo'sing a slide fastener on a girdle member 18 from its .Fig. 6 to its Fig. 7 position.

4 or corset, which may be designed in such a manner that a shorter closure device is not only easily usable, but is in fact usable with more efiiciency than a closure device of maximum length.

In Figs. 6-9 there is shown a modified construction wherein the closure device generally designated 38 is identical to the first form of the device, with the exception that instead of the handles 24, 20, it includes an inner handle 40 having diametrically opposed, slightly undercut recesses 42 (see Figs. 6 and 8), and an end handle 44 having correspondingly located, headed lugs 46.

Further, the device differs from the first form of the invention in that a third handle 48, which can be appropriately termed an intermediate handle, receives the strip member 18, substantially medially between the ends of the strip member, being loosely tacked to the strip member by a thread loop 50. The handle 48 ordinarily is inoperatively disposed as in Fig. 6, and in these circumstances the device is used in the same manner as in the first form of the invention, with either the outer handle 44 or the inner handle 40 being available, depending upon whether one desires the device at maximum or at minimum length.

In this form of the invention, however, the device can be used at an intermediate length. In this instance, one merely shifts the handle 44 along the length of the strip The handle 44 is turned over to locate the lugs 46 in confronting relation to the recesses 42. Then one presses the handles 40, 44 toward one another with said handles in registration as in Fig. 7. The lugs 46 snap ihto the recesses 42 so as to separably but fixedly connect the handles'40, 44 to each other.

This folds the stripmember .18 upon itself to form the strip member 18 m an overall length half its normal length. of Fig. 6. Further, the arrangement locates the handle 48 at the end of the now folded member 18,

as shown in Fig. 7.

Thedevice is thus adjusted to a length midway between its maximum and its minimum lengths, so as to in effect permit the closure device to be used at an intermediate length shown in Fig. 7. The handles 40, 44 can of course be readily separated from one another with little difficulty, whenever it is desired to use the device in the arrangement shown in Fig. 6.

In Figs. 10-42, another form of the invention has been shown, wherein the closure device has been generally designated at 52. In this form of the invention, the device is identical to 'thefirst form with the exception that the strip member 18 is composed of a pair of side-byside strip portions 54, 56 made of twill tape or braid, having inner ends hemmed at 58, 60 for connection to the inner loop handle 24. Portions 54, 56 are' connected at their outer ends to loops 62, 64 through the provision of hems 66, 68.

The loops 62, 64' are adapted to be separably connected in superposed relation as shown in full lines in Fig. 10 and also shown in Fig. 11. This is accomplished through the provision of diametrically opposed lugs 70 on the loop 62, engageable in the recesses 72 of the loop 64 in the same manner as the handles 40, 44 are connected in the second form of the invention.

When the handles 62, 64 are connected to'each other as shown in full lines in Fig. 10, the device is used identically to the first form of the invention. Thus, the connected loops 62, 64 cooperateto define. an end handle, and-the. portions 54, '56 cooperate to define a strip member like the member 18 of the firstform- In this form ofthe invention, however, the device is adapted to permit spreading of-the porti0ns 54, 56 to the positions thereof shown in Fig. 12 and also in dotted lines in Fig. 10. I One accomplishes this by separating the handles 62, 64. When the handles are separated, the portions 54, :56 may be extended in diverging relation from the handle 24, one over each shoulder, and one may grasp the loops 62, 64 in her hands, so that on pulling forwardly upon the loops 62, 64 the slide fastener will be closed.

The purpose of the arrangements of Figs. -12 is to hold the slide handle of the slide fastener in centered position and assure its movement upwardly in a straight vertical line, without tendency of the same to be pulled laterally to one side more than to the other side. In other Words, the line of pull is straight upwardly along the length of the slide fastener, and this may serve to prevent jamming of the slide during the movement thereof to a closed position.

Thus, the device of Figs. 10-12 can be used like the first form of the invention or alternatively, might be adjusted to provide a yoke-like arrangement that will provide for balancing of any forces tending to shift the slide handle laterally while it moves along the length of the slide fastener.

In all forms of the invention, there is the common characteristic wherein the device can be manufactured at a very low cost. As will be noted, it mainly comprises flexible members, and inexpensive closed loops. Thus, the closure device can be purchased at low cost, but will nevertheless be efliciently adapted for use in closing, or for that matter opening, various slide fasteners. Further, the device is adapted for trouble-free operation, so as to be used for an indefinite period of time, despite its adaptability to be manufactured and sold at a very low cost.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An actuating device for a slide fastener having an element with an opening therein, said device comprising a hook member adapted to engage said opening, a rectangular-shaped closed loop hingedly mounting said hook member, an elongated flexible and pliable straplike member attached at one end to the rectangular-shaped loop, a continuous circular loop hingedly attached 'to the other end of said strap-like flexible member, a second elongated flexible and pliable strap-like member attached at one end to said circular loop, said second strap-like member being longer than the first-named strap-like member, a second continuous circular loop hingedly connected to the other end of said second strap-like member, said latter loop serving as an end handle, and a third continuous circular loop hingedly connected to said second strap-like member midway its ends, said straplike members when aligned being of a length suflicient to extend approximately from the waist to the shoulder of an average sized person whereby the user may manipulate a slide fastener up or down at the back of the garment worn by the user without having to maintain manually a grasp on the fastener element, by engaging said hook end in said opening in the fastener element and drawing said strap-like members upwardly to raise the fastener element or downwardly to lower the fastener element and means for fastening the second circular loop to the first circular loop, said last-named circular loop serving as an end handle when the second circular loop is fastened to the first circular loop.

2. An actuating device as defined in claim 1 wherein the holding means includes radial lugs on said second circular loop, said first named circular loop, having recesses releasably to receive said lugs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,035,728 Peck Aug. 13, 1912 2,531,805 Clark Nov. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,908 Great Britain Oct. 24, 1912 

